Check out Peter Panepento’s recent blog “Sleeping With the Cellphone: The 20-Something Donor” online at The Chronicle of Philanthropy.  Panepento’s blog, informed partly by JGA’s Millennial Donor Study, gives a quick snapshot of Generation Y donors and shares some tips to keep in mind when trying to engage them.

TED GROSSNICKLE TO BE HONORED BY CENTER ON PHILANTHROPY AT IUPUI SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY AWARDS

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University will honor philanthropic leader Ted R. Grossnickle, CFRE, at the annual Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Spirit of Philanthropy Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 22^nd in Indianapolis. 

The Spirit of Philanthropy awards recognize individuals, corporations, and foundations that have supported and contributed to university programs and departments through their gifts and voluntary service.

Grossnickle has been a key volunteer and supporter for the Center on Philanthropy for more than a decade.

“Ted’s visionary volunteer leadership plays an important role in helping to shape the Center on Philanthropy’s future,” said Patrick M. Rooney, executive director of the Center. “We are fortunate that he chooses to share his time, expertise and good counsel with us.”

Grossnickle currently serves as chair-elect of the Center’s board of visitors and leads its endowment campaign committee. A donor and member of the Center’s Sage Society, Grossnickle also chaired the Center’s campaign readiness task force.

Click here to read more >>

The “2010 Millennial Donor Study” results are in!

As you may have heard, Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates (JGA) and Achieve conducted a study of the giving habits and engagement preferences of more than 2,000 people between the ages of 20 and 40 (the Millennial Generation) across the U.S.

The full results of that study are in, and we think you will find them to be of high interest and value.  The study found that when Millennial donors get involved with a nonprofit organization, they not only want to give financially, they want to affect change and create direction, and they want access to the organization’s board leadership.  Contrary to their high-tech reputation, Millennial donors put a high value on face-to-face communication.

Ted Grossnickle, Senior Managing Consultant with JGA, said, “These responses suggest that if fundraisers want to attract Millennial donors, they’re going to need to change their approach and become more relationship-based.”

“This requires a shift in attitude among development officers,” said Grossnickle.  “The Millennials might not have the capacity to give large amounts now, but they have human capital and are willing to be evangelists to their friends and family.  Plus, in 20 to 30 years, they’re going to have plenty of giving capacity, and they’ll use that capacity to support organizations that have engaged them.”

To discuss the study, download it, and register to participate in a free Webinar on April 15, visit www.MillennialDonors.com.

 Click here to view the full press release.

When it comes to courting young donors, it’s all in the details.

That’s one of the key findings from a recent survey conducted by JGA in partnership with Achieve - an Indianapolis based consulting firm focused on strengthening fundraising programs and donor engagement (www.achieveguidance.com).  Furthermore, the results also suggest that a broad appeal for funds will leave many young potential donors looking for other giving opportunities.

Over the past three months, JGA and Achieve surveyed donors between the ages of 22 and 40 about their philanthropic giving, communication and relationship preferences.  While JGA and Achieve will unveil the complete results of the survey next month, some preliminary findings merit special attention – most notably, the data suggesting that more than 53% of donors in this age category will support only those organizations that provide specific information about where a donation is going.  In addition, it should be noted that more than 52% of these donors said they will not respond to general requests for support.

What does this mean for organizations?  If you intend to court next-generation donors, you’ll need to let them know what you plan to do with their resources before you receive them. Fail to provide this clarity and they’ll move on to organizations that make clear and concise appeals and include a specific call for action.

Want to learn more?  Stay tuned for the full survey results which will be made available in April.  Please submit your contact information here to receive the results as soon as they are released.  Until then, feel free to share your thoughts on the findings so far, by posting in the JGA comments section below.

Don’t miss JGA Senior Consultant and Chief Operating Officer, Angela White, and Achieve Consultant and Director of Development, Nick Parkevich as they present “Conversations with Donors” – an Achieve webinar, which will take place on February 9, 2010, at 12 p.m. EST. 

Registration is free.  If you are interested in attending the webinar, please register here.

Angela will also moderate the special program, “Who Decides and Why it Matters: Married Couples and Charitable Decision Making,” presented by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University from 3:45 – 5 p.m. on February, 11, 2010.  The program will be held at the IUPUI University Library Auditorium in Indianapolis.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Andrea Pactor at apactor@iupui.edu or 317.278.8990.

We want to hear from you!  Let JGA know your thoughts following the webinar or the program by posting in the comments section below.

As always, the JGA consultants are keeping busy in the non-profit community.  In September, Meg Gammage-Tucker, Senior JGA Consultant, taught two days of “Developing Annual Sustainability” for The Fundraising School in Indianapolis, and October 15th – 17th she will be presenting two sessions on Establishing an Annual Fund and Taking the Fear out of Asking for Gifts at the Zoological Association of America conference in Wichita, Kansas.

Ted Grossnickle, Chairman and CEO of JGA, has also been on the move.  Ted recently spent three days in New York City conducting client interviews (and rubbing elbows with world leaders who were attending the UN General Assembly).  Fresh off the plane, Ted headed back to his alma mater, Wabash College, to give the Chapel speech to students, faculty, and staff on October 8th.  Early next month, Ted will be presenting the keynote address to the Lambda Chi Regional meeting at Wabash, and he is also authoring a chapter for an upcoming book which will address the trustee’s role in fundraising. 

Senior Consultant Angela White is also keeping busy with her work on behalf of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.  On November 6th, Angela will speak on why gender matters in philanthropy at the University of Kentucky’s “Power of the Purse” presentation.  Angela will also speak at the inaugural fall symposium for the University of Oklahoma Women’s Philanthropy Network on November 19th.  The symposium will highlight the ways in which gifts “have enriched the academic life of the University” while also educating attendees on how they can make a difference.  

So, don’t be surprised if you happen to run into a JGA consultant…it seems they can turn up just about anywhere.

Will the economic downturn be the great equilizer in higher education? JGA Senior Executive Consultant Kris Kindelsperger addresses that question in his most recent article, published in the Indianapolis Business Journal on June 22.

In the world of higher education, especially at private institutions, the conventional wisdom was always “the best and financially strongest institutions are those with the largest endowments.”  Strong fundraising over the past 20 years helped many institutions build large endowments, which became major sources of annual income. Large endowments were also viewed as “insurance” against the vagaries of economic downturns, protection against swings in enrollment, and a safety net from unforeseen financial emergencies or budget cuts by state legislatures. Bigger was always better when it came to endowments.

 

But life has changed in higher education and changed very rapidly. The value of most endowments, just like our portfolios and 401Ks, has plummeted and along with it many of its historical advantages. Today, institutions with the strongest “bottom lines” are likely to be those with strong management and business plans that work in today’s economy, not necessarily those with the strongest endowments.

To read the rest of Kris’s article, click here.

During the economic crisis, are you consorting with the bears or the bulls? In his article in Inside INdiana Business, JGA Senior Executive Consultant Kris Kindelsperger touches on how some nonprofits are riding out the financial storm:

Recent media coverage speaks to the challenges nonprofit organizations face in the current economy. The loss in value of endowments, decreased fundraising (in some cases), and lower earned income (ticket sales, memberships, tuition), among other issues, have created a perfect storm of financial distress for some nonprofits.

To read the rest of Kris’s article, click here.

To download a PDF of the article, click here.

On April 1, 2009, Johnson Grossnickle and Associates celebrated 15 years of empowering not-for-profit organizations to make the world a better place through philanthropy.

As we celebrate our past, we look back on our 15 years of partnerships with focused, dedicated organizations that lead the nonprofit sector in excellence. It is those partnerships that have provided JGA with challenging experiences, rewarding results, and growth which provide us with strong optimism about the future.

For JGA, value is found in our clients and the relationships we share. Our hope is that you have found as much value in us. Thank you for allowing us to serve you through the past 15 years. We look forward to many more prosperous years to come.